A Little Evil Goes a Long Way…

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(I wrote this a while back, when it was timely but never posted it. I felt I needed more time to digest the series finale before publishing it, but in the end, I still feel the same. So, here it is at long last.)

Last night, the final episode of one of my all time favorite shows aired, and I came away disappointed. I understand that there were cast problems, or at least rumors of such, in the last weeks of filming, but the whole episode was something of a mess.
The thing that bothered me most about the episode is that both Castle and Beckett not only looked a bit odd but behaved that way too. There was just something about their individual appearances that just didn’t look right, and I suppose it could be traced back to the rumors, whether true or not, of the fights Fillion and Katic had been having. Or maybe it was a deliberate action on the parts of the makeup department in an attempt to show the stress the two characters were experiencing. I can’t say. Hell, I can’t even say what it is about their appearances that didn’t look right. But the characters’ appearances were wrong and there was something about both the script and performances that didn’t gel well either.
The whole episode felt forced, which I suppose it was. The ending was especially bad; while they triumphed over yet another bad guy, both were shot and, in my opinion, appeared to be mortally wounded. Yet, seconds after they clasped hands while bleeding out on the floor, we got an ellipsis, passage of seven years, and little children running about the happy couple’s home.
I don’t know whether to consider that trite, a stab at a choose your own ending storytelling, or an indication that the narrator is unreliable. In any case, the explanations fall short for me.
Though I would have loved to have Castle and Beckett live out their lives with children, everything after them bleeding on the floor rang even more hollow than the rest of the episode.
Frankly, this was not the ending I expected or feel the fans of the show deserved, whether or not the couple lived or died. This was a very u n-Castle episode, and I can only be happy there will be no follow-up to explain what really happened there. Like a novel, the book of Castle is closed for me and I’ll remember the many chapters with great fondness, though I’ll forevermore wish I’d never read the ending.

Like this:

I think we already established the fact that I’m a Castle fan. I watch the show religiously. I follow both Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic on Twitter. I’ve gotten friends hooked on the show! I’ll confess that my heart has a special place for television shows and movies that make writers look far more interesting than I think we probably really are: that means I love Castle, and I love Californication. (Yeah, Duchovny, if you’re listening, I’m still a fan of yours after all these years!) So, it’s not unexpected that I saw tonight’s episode.

Out of respect for the West Coast, I’ll invalidate my normal truth, the whole truth, and damn the spoiler warnings and actually not reveal anything about the episode. Except one detail.

There was a moment, one single intensified moment when everything that needed to be said by Beckett and Castle was said, and neither of them uttered a word. It was as plain as day on Beckett’s face, and while their lover’s dance has not yet reached its end, Castle would be a fool indeed if he didn’t get the message.

Like this:

Before I go any further, I want to make this epically clear: I am highly biased in favor and support of Nathan Fillion. I love the guy. There, I said it, and I’m not ashamed. I loved his character and acting in Firefly and Serenity. He was awesome as Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. I would’ve paid to see him playing Nathan Drake in the upcoming film adaptation of the PS3 game Uncharted. Multiple times even. I follow him (@NathanFillion) on Twitter. If I weren’t heterosexual, I’d probably be stalking him right now. So obviously, I watch Castle. There, that’s out of the way.

Being a [wannabe] writer myself, I connected with Castle, character and television series, right off the bat. Although I can’t write dialogue any better than George Lucas can (sorry Mr. Lucas!!), I’ve always loved witty repartee in movies and television, and there’s loads to be found in every single episode of Castle. Furthermore, I’m also a fan of good police/crime dramas. Add a little humor, romance, and top it off with strong familial connections, and I’m a sucker for a show. Castle has delivered all of this since day one, and I’m incredibly addicted to it. Hell, I even got one of my best friends hooked on it, then got her hooked on Firefly…!

This being the third season of the show, we the audience, and I in particular, have been waiting for the romantic & sexual tension to break between Richard Castle and Kate Beckett, played by the gorgeous Stana Katic. (If you’re reading this Stana, and you have a position open for a stalker, please let me know!:-) ) I think we all knew it was going to happen eventually. We’ve seen the missed opportunities and the longing from both Castle and Beckett. We even know the supporting characters are all pulling for it as well! Until now, things just haven’t worked out… As a writer, especially one being trained to be a screenwriter, I know this couldn’t be dragged out for another season without this sweet release, and tonight we finally got it!

I’ll admit, I haven’t seen the whole episode yet, so I don’t know what leads up to it, but the kiss was amazing! I’m not one for romance movies, but I was cheering nonstop when Castle and Beckett finally kissed! Hell, I’m burning that episode to DVD from my computer (where I recorded it) right now so I can watch that over and over for the next 10 years…! I have never enjoyed watching on-screen kisses before now because they always looked so fake to me, but Nathan and Stana — excuse my French — just fucking went for it! Maybe I was seeing it through rose colored glasses, but that was the best kiss I’ve ever seen in any television show or movie! Hell, I don’t think my ex-wife and I ever kissed that passionately!

In MY book, this kiss should be immortalized forever simply as “THE Kiss”! There’s a line in The Princess Bride that talks about a kiss to which all others are compared, well, the ante just got raised!

This is probably my first and last post ever raving about a kiss or even romance, but THAT is how it’s done, people! Bravo to Nathan, Stana, the cast and crew of Castle!